


Up the Hill

by little_seahorse



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-14
Updated: 2012-06-14
Packaged: 2017-11-07 17:20:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/433558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_seahorse/pseuds/little_seahorse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alt. universe based in imagined-London of yesteryear. A thinly veiled semi-autobiographical excuse to dress the smitten fellas as Mods and Rockers. Slightly re-imagined characterizations.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Boulangerie

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted March 2011 in the lupin_snape LiveJournal Comm.
> 
> Unbeta'd.
> 
> Feedback and concrit most welcome.

Once he'd adjusted to the private hell of waking at four in the morning, Severus Snape conceded that it wasn't such a bad job after all.  
For the past two years he'd woken cursing the pre-dawn frost, shuffling to the bathroom of his second-floor bedsit to piss, to brush his teeth and, blinking the gum of sleep from his eyelashes, scrape his hair back into a thick black ponytail.  
Today was no different.

The short, bracing walk down the hill towards the main street is enough to blast the last heat of sleep from his cheeks.  
Severus huffs into his cupped hands as he waits, despite the emptiness of the streets, for the lights of the intersection to change.

The only thing resembling traffic is a small fleet of dark blue garbage trucks. They screech, swish, thunk as they lurch, brake and lift, flicking orange lights across  
the darkened windows of still-closed shopfronts.

He turns right into an arcade, checking his watch. Four-forty. He opens the first screen door to his right, stepping gratefully into the warmth of a small kitchen and calling hello to the short, round woman unstacking a tower of wide crates.

"Bonjour Severus!" Collette replies, "ready for another day in paradise?"

Severus smirks, "bien sur, I am a sucker for punishment."

Donning his brown cotton apron, he flicks the stereo on and prepares two cups by his shining machine.

"Coffee?"

"Oui, merci!" Severus smiles, readying his machine and watching Collette pat white flour dust from her apron.

He looks around and sees the gleaming glass cases are already filled with dewy tartes, tortes, cakes, slices and dozens upon dozens of glistening sweets.

"Your coffee, mademoiselle," Severus leans back into the kitchen, passing the steaming cup to Collette. She takes it carefully before smacking his arm reproachfully.

"Madam, petit garcon. I assure you, I have not been a 'mademoiselle' for longer than I care to remember."

Severus gives a small bow, making for the back door and swiping the packet of Pall Malls from the pocket of his hanging jacket as he passes.

"...and I assure you, I am no little boy." The absurd waggle of his eyebrows earn a hearty peal of giggles from Collette, who grins indulgently as she shoos him from her kitchen.

Leaning against the concrete wall of the arcade, Severus lights a cigarette and inhales. He takes his first slow swallow of sweet, dark coffee under the stripped flourescent lights.

As always, at this moment, the cold and the dark of the hour cease to matter.

 

 

Remus Lupin is not an early bird. He does not, nor has he ever bothered to catch a worm.  
He lifts his head from the mattress and grumbles at the unfairness of it all. Glaring at the cheery red face of his alarm clock, he kicks at the white sheets groping around his bony ankles.

Nine thirty-five. Disgusting.  
Stretching his long limbs, popping his back and scratching at his bollocks, Remus considers falling back into the inviting sheets for another ten minutes.  
Not the best idea, he groans to himself. It always turned into the painful 'ten-minutes-more' song. Deciding to get the pain over with, he stands and mumbles his way to the bathroom, flicks on the light and lays down a soft blue towel.

He steps into the hot, steady spray.  
'This...this is more like it." He scratches shampoo into his brown hair, inhaling the sweet milk and honey of it before rinsing and reaching for the soap.

He lathers his hands quickly. Washes his neck, armpits, chest, arse slowly and thoroughly. He moans under the steaming onslaught, the hot water batters his neck and shoulders before coursing down his body, legs, toes.

Remus glances down and swipes a handful of suds down his half-hard shaft. It bobs back happily, rinsed in seconds by the water sluicing down his chest and belly.  
'If one must begin the day at such a disgraceful hour, one should surely make the most of it.'

Recalling the dream which had been so rudely interrupted, Remus grips himself, sighing happily as his cock springs to full attention.  
His eyes slip shut as he twists his wrist to slide back his foreskin.

He begins to pump slowly, picturing his delectable Ethics professor. His tight arse in tailored slacks. Shining waves of dark hair.  
Always looks so soft, just like his mouth. Remus moans, swiping his thumb lazily over the swollen head of his cock.  
Sometimes he imagines being a naughty schoolboy for his professor. Coltish and coy in pristine uniform.

This morning, however, he wants to grip fistfuls of soft black hair, tangling and pulling as he pushes his cock past those soft lips, onto that soft tongue, into that wet, soft throat.  
Remus fists his cock faster, squeezing the hot, heavy shaft as the water runs over his knuckles. He scratches his blunt fingernails harshly through the coarse brown and grey hair on his bollocks. He hisses and chews on his bottom lip from the sharp pleasure.  
Flashing grey eyes smoulder up at him, daring Remus to give them what they each want.  
Remus lets out a long, low moan, he twists and pulls his desperate cock with both hands as he imagines hot lips and slick tongue taking him deep and turning him inside out.

He feels a flicker of electric pleasure in his gut as he pictures his professor moaning around his mouthful. His black hair is plastered to his brow and his hollowed cheeks with sweat and heat. Remus curls his fingers tighter, he pulls the sweet suction closer until his professers straight, aristocratic nose brushes the curls surrounding the base of his cock. Those eyes stare up at him, begging now. 'Give me your come.'

"Nngh, Professor Black.." Remus gasps, he gives one last moan before his orgasm hits him and he spills his hot come across his fist and his fingers. He clenches his teeth and braces his legs as shudders climb his spine from his groin and his gut.

When he finally opens his eyes he remembers what he always conveniently forgets about wanking in the shower.  
"Yerch." He grimaces in distaste and tries in vain to flick a viscous gob of come from his hand. He picks sticky strands from where they've settled on the hair of his belly and thighs.

Five minutes later, clean at last, Remus reaches for a towel and feels much better about the day ahead.


	2. A Perfect Ten

Severus Snape breathes a deep sigh of relief. The worst of the morning rush is over.  
He fiddles with the stereo nestled beside the heavy black soup tureen that sits steaming on the counter.  
Severus grabs a cloth as the opening bars of Sunday Morning chime through the shop. He soaks it before sliding past the front counter.  
He shimmies and slides, swiping crumbs and foam and spilled coffee from chrome tabletops.

"Nice one, Sev." The bright-eyed girl calls from the kitchen. She bobs her head in time to the music.

"Cheers Lily." He slides his way back to the sink and lifts a wicker basket before resting it on a clean stretch of counter.

Lily joins him, and they stand side by side nodding and twisting dishwasher-hot cutlery neatly into white napkins.

"Pop the kettle on, love?" Lily smiles at Severus, who rolls his eyes and fixes a small white teapot with green tea leaves, choosing two slices of lemon to rest on a clean saucer.

Lily fetches an enormous sandwich from the kitchen, cutting it in two and plating one half for Severus.

"Roast beef, onion, butter lettuce and chili relish."

Severus mumbles his praise around his first mouthful.

"Starving. Cheers, Lil." Lily glances quickly around the empty shop before jumping up to sit on the counter, flicking her long red braid over her shoulder. She settles in to enjoy her tea.

Severus wipes his hands against his apron, "back in a tick." He steps out the back door and finds a milk crate. The sun is high in the sky by now, and it warms his stiff shoulders as he lights up and inhales.

 

Descending the stone steps, Remus Lupin hitches his backpack higher on his shoulder. He pushes the glass door before him open.  
He approaches the counter, smiling at the two girls who are taking turns poking each other in the side.  
A tall, slim girl lets out a yelp as the red haired girl flicks the back of her bra against her skin. She turns to smack the girl, but Lily darts to the side, laughing.

"Oh."  
Remus smiles.  
"Hi there, what can I get you?"  
"Just a pot of English Breakfast, thanks."  
"Milk?"  
"Yes please, and honey."  
"Two pounds ten."

Remus fishes through his pockets, and hands his change to the girl with 'Marianne' on her badge.  
He turns and finds a seat by the window, settling into the squashy brown vinyl and dumping his bag beside the table.

"What do you reckon, Lil? Seven?"

Lily glances toward the man sitting at the front of the shop. She eyes him thoughtfully.

"Hmm..seven and a half. Eight in a suit."  
"Bit lush, anyway. Next load of dishes says he pulls out a paperback."  
"You're on."

Severus comes through the kitchen, brushing his hair back from his eyes as he reties his ponytail.

"Boo."  
"Shh!"  
He raises an eyebrow at Lily, who has turned back to inspect Mister Seven-and-a-half.  
Marianne spots the thick moleskin journal the man has pulled from his canvas backpack.

"Bollocks."  
Lily does a little victory dance.  
"If you don't mind, ladies, some of us have work to do."  
"Alright then, take this to Mister seven-and-a-half over there." Marianne points to the tea service sitting on the counter.

Severus lifts the round black tray laden with ceramic and silver, and sweeps toward the table.

 

 

Remus scratches away on a blank page, he starts to sketch the view from the window in sharp, thin strokes of black ink. He's tapping his foot and singing under his breath, glad that someone had chosen something decent to play. Something that wasn't art-noise. Or, perish the thought, acid jazz.  
"..waiting for my man.."

He looks up from his book and stops. He stops, and he stares.

"Your tea."

Remus closes his mouth and watches the tall man with long black hair carefully transfer a steaming pot, a white cup, a small chrome jug of milk and a transparent pot of golden honey from tray to table. He watches the long, thin fingers curl back around the tray, and he manages to lift his eyes.

Thin lips. Red. Huge roman nose. Small cleft on his chin. Pale skin.  
Shining eyes, dark dark brown.  
The Cheekbones.  
Remus wants to lick those cheekbones just to see if they'll cut his tongue.

"Ta, cheers. Thanks." Remus babbles at the man, closing his notebook.  
Blushing. he cuts his eyes to the honey sitting before him. Real smooth, Remus.

"Think nothing of it." Severus smirks, turning sharply on his heel and striding back toward the girls.

"You're both idiots." He announces. He drops his voice.  
"He's a ten. A perfect ten."

 

 

The glass cases are clean. The bins have been emptied. There isn't a thing in the dishwasher, and the hulking coffee machine sits shining and dormant on it's bench.  
Severus Snape locks the screen door, and zips his jacket up to his throat. He swings a plastic bag filled with six rolls, and a tray of chocolate eclairs further up his arm.  
He lights another cigarette, and heads up the hill. He thinks back to the morning. The perfect ten. The poor bloke looked like he'd choked on his tongue.

Severus smiles to himself, pleased at the blatant admiration of the handsome stranger. He himself is not model handsome, but he has his fans among the local St Martins art crowd.

The eyes had caught him. Clear and wide. The colour of burnt honey.

He climbs the stairs and lets himself into his flat, whistling his way to the turn table beneath the window.  
He shifts the arm, dropping the needle gently into the groove.  
He slips his leather jacket off his shoulders, rolling his hips as Jim Morrisson oozes out of the pulsing speakers.

"Hello, I love you won't you tell me your name..."  
Severus pulls his black tee-shirt over his head, his navy blue vest follows it to the floor.

He was lush. Dusty brown hair. Pink, pink blush.  
He smiles to himself as he pops open his fly, dragging the zip down, swaying his hips and singing.  
"sidewalk crouches at his feet, like a dog that begs for a somethin' sweet."

Severus pulls the black elastic from his hair, dragging the black silky strands through his fingers and letting them fall down across his shoulders.  
Tonight is laundry night. For Severus, this means filling the bathtub with warm water before adding four caps of laundry powder, his smalls, trousers, shirts and aprons.

Opening the cupboard above the kitchen sink, he pulls out a cheap bottle of red wine. He doesn't bother grabbing a glass, just unscrews the lid and gulps down a bitter mouthful.

Shimmying back into the bathroom, he slides down the wall between the toilet and the bath and brings a knee to his chest.  
He takes another swig and gropes for the packet of cigarettes by his ankle. Lighting up for the seventeenth time that day, he lets his head fall back and he closes his eyes.

Tomorrow night he will have to scrabble together something to wear to the end of semester party that Lily had invited him to the week before. The theme is 'Mod Squad,' apparently.

The fatuous grins and giggles of second year fashion students will be compensated by the availability of a veritable sea of gin and the sparkle of his friends company. There was always the potential for a furtive snog with a pretty boy, but the thought was no longer as appealing as it had been yesterday.

Severus flicks the head of ash into the sink by his head, and holds the cigarette beneath the perpetual drip of the basin tap.  
He kneels beside the bath and dips his hand into the water.  
He begins the work of washing his pants, considers popping around the corner for a takeaway and wonders whether his perfect ten will return tomorrow.

 

 

"Coming to the party tonight, Remus?"  
The class is streaming from the lecture theater as James catches up with his friend.  
"What party?" Remus turns, shoving his textbook and pens into his bag.  
"'S'in Camden. Loads of tasty art birds." James' eyes take on a dreamy glaze.  
"And?" Remus scoffs at him.  
"Yeah, well, I'm sure there'll be plenty of pretty little blokes from the fashion department."

Remus screwed his face up in distaste.

"Not usually my sort," he hesitates before adding, "anyway, I've got my eye on someone."  
"Who? Not still mooning after teacher, are you?"  
"No, not Professor Black. I don't know his name. Works at the caff on Shaftsbury avenue. I'm thinking of heading there now, actually"  
"Oh yeah? Want some company?" James jumps down into the gutter and kicks an empty Coke bottle before stepping back into stride with Remus.  
"Yeah, why not. Their tea's nice."  
"Tea's tea, mate."

Remus leads James down the steps to the cafe, pushing open the door and spotting the laughing red-haired girl from the day before.

"Oh! Hello again! English breakfast, milk and honey?"  
"Yes please. What do you want, James?"  
James is leaning on the counter, leering at Lily.  
"Short black and your number, sweet'eart."  
"Short black and a fat lip it is."  
"Aw, now, don't be like that, love. Just trying to be friendly."

Severus poked his head out from behind his machine, scowling in the direction of the east London accent.  
The accent was attached to tall, bespectacled man wearing a grin that aimed for rakish and landed at Benny Hill.

Severus surmised that his education had not stretched to include the concept of a comb.  
Grabbing the order slip from Lily and sliding it beneath the magnet, he looks up again.  
Who should be standing beside the bird nest but his perfect ten.

"Don't be a tit, James," Remus smiles ruefully at Lily.  
Severus grips the edge of the counter and narrowly avoids dropping the carton of milk.  
"He doesn't get out much."  
"I see." Lily replies.

Remus hands Lily a ten pound note and drags a laughing James by the elbow to the table by the window.

"A-one, my friend. She. Is. Gorgeous. A perfect ten." James falls into the brown vinyl armchair opposite Remus.

"She's nice. But she's got nothing on him." Remus sighs, nodding toward the coffee machine. He smiles as he sees the tall barista whip back out of sight.  
James leans forward, craning to get a look.  
"Always with the dark horses."

Remus murmurs his assent and fiddles with a button on his shirt. His palms are sweating, and he feels his stomach lurch as he considers writing his number on a scrap of paper. Sometimes, he thinks, it would be nice to be able to brazen it out like James. But Remus Lupin prefers 'unrequited' over 'rejected.'

"...Alice told Frank, and Frank told me. Should be a laugh. Sixties theme, loads of booze."  
Remus sees James talking at him. "Hmm? Sorry, what?"  
"The party, space cadet. Coming or what?"  
"Yeah, I suppose. One night away from the books won't kill me."  
James breaks into a huge grin, leans over and cuffs Remus on the shoulder,  
"Atta boy, Lupin. Knew you had it in you."  
Remus grins back.  
"Short black. English breakfast. Milk. Honey."

Remus stares up. His mouth goes dry. When he opens it to say thank you, he manages to bite his tongue,  
"Shit!"  
James frowns at him.  
"Bit my tongue." A deep red flush creeps up his neck and burns his cheeks.

Severus is smirking when Remus looks up again. His eyes flick to his chest. He's wearing his badge today.

"Thankyou, Severus," he manages.

Severus throws him a wink before turning on his heel, tray under his arm and sauntering back to the counter.

James lets out a loud snort.

"Alright, there mate?"  
"..fnn..he..bu.."  
"Yep. You are one smooth operator. While you were busy chewing your tongue, he was basically giving you the eyefuck. I think you're well in there."  
Remus collapses into his chair. He tries to remember how to string two words together.  
James sips happily at his coffee, waggling his fingers at the girl behind the counter. She rolls her eyes and turns her back.

"Did you hear his voice?"  
"Mhmm. Seems nice."  
"Nice?! It was a bit more than nice. I got it all wrong, Lil. He's easily an eleven. Possibly twelve."  
"Ask him for his number then, christ!"  
"Lily, when you're a barista, the numbers come to you."  
"Yeah, well, we'll see if he manages to work up the nouse, shall we?" Lily raises an eyebrow at Severus.

Severus scowls and thinks for a moment.

"Bollocks to that." He tears a strip of paper from the receipt printer, and writes his name carefully above his number.  
When Lily turns her back he takes a scrap from his apron and scribbles down her name and number.  
He smirks to himself and adds a small heart and two kisses beside her name.

 

 

Severus chokes on a cloud of hairspray as he leans in to Lily's bathroom.

"Christs sake Lily, nearly done or what?"

She looks at him in the mirror, sticking her tongue out and patting her neat beehive in satisfaction.  
"Keep your knickers on, love. Won't be a sec. C'mere."

Severus scowls impatiently.

"Bend your knees a bit and hold still."

Calculating that the quickest way to get Lily out of the bathroom and to the party is to comply, he stoops toward her.  
Lily gently lifts one of his eyelids with her thumb and carefully traces a line of black around the lid. She takes a silver pencil from behind her ear and smudges the hollow where the corner of Severus' eye meets the bridge of his nose.  
Stepping back to admire her handiwork, she nods to herself and repeats the process on his other eye.

"Happy?" he grumbles, straightening up.  
Lily smiles and smacks his bum, pushing him out of the bathroom with a loud wolf whistle."Yup. Let's rock and roll."

Severus waits for Lily to lock her front door.  
"Nice hair, by the way."  
"Cheers, Sev." They link arms and head for the main street.

Severus is grateful for the black wool coat he decided to put on over his suit jacket.  
He checks his watch again. Eleven twenty-five.

"Do you think he'll be there?" Severus bites at his lip and watches their feet move beneath them.

Lily looks at him from the corner of her eye, and she sees what he wishes she wouldn't.

"Course, love. He'd be daft not to."


	3. Mod Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter with dancing, smooches and smut.

As he approaches the lane way, Remus can make out a staccato drum beat and the urgent thrum of horns emerging from a dark doorway.  
Patches of unabashedly loud feminine laughter echo off the bricks. Tattered posters peel off the walls, and somebody has strung great loops of small blue lights above them.  
Half a dozen blue, white and red targets dot the cobbles in a path to the door half way down the lane where a few dark shapes lean against the wall smoking and talking, casually fluffing their hair.

Remus waits beside James as he asks a girl in a black and white mini dress for a light.  
Until now, he had been convinced that he was overdressed in his navy pinstripe suit. Most of the men he can see are wearing sharp three piece suits, or studded leather jackets and dark, dark jeans.

He fiddles with the skinny tie James loaned him and gratefully accepts the out-held cigarette, taking in two quick acrid drags before passing it back  
James is looking up and down the lane with interest, clearly excited by the prospects of the evening.

Parties are not Remus' usual thing. He prefers to avoid exactly this kind of get together.  
The music is usually too loud, the laughter too fake and the conversation rarely audible if it's worth listening to at all.

James' pleading, coupled with the knowledge that he hasn't had a night out in eight weeks had swayed him. The invitation from Severus, however, so coolly offered along with his phone number had clinched it for him.

Remus was still a bit unsure as to whether it's supposed to be a date or not, but the regular flips of his stomach and the speed of his heartbeat indicate that his body is expecting one. He has not been on a date in three years.

It's become easier, with practice, to quash the pangs and regrets that bite at him when he sees people walking across campus hand in hand.  
He tells himself that his focus on his degree is no bad thing, that his excellent hard-earned grades and good reputation among his peers and the faculty make up for the occasional sting of loneliness.

He has contented himself with aimless fantasies, indulging himself when lust and desperation threaten to overwhelm him.  
No amount of tired jerking over unattainable men can compare to the possibility of the real thing.

"Alright, mate?" James is watching carefully for any sign that Remus might bolt before his first drink.  
"Yeah. Just a bit nervous." Remus admits.  
"You'll be alright. I know it's been a while, but he asked you to come, didn'e?" James steps inside the door, and Remus follows, scanning the crowd for long black hair and a sardonic smirk.

"Yeah. Cheers James," Remus is glad of his friends encouragement, but it does little to quell the flutters of his stomach, "he said Lily's coming, too. She's doing second year design."  
"Wicked."  
"Come on then. First round." Remus leads James to the bar to distract himself and garner bit of liquid courage.

 

 

"Sev! He's sitting on one of the couches, go and say hello while I get us some drinks." Lily points towards a far corner, and Severus follows her line of sight before squaring his shoulders.

"See you in a bit, Lil." She squeezes his hand before turning her back and slipping through the press of bodies.

Severus heads slowly to the low couch, removing his thick coat and taking the chance to observe Remus scanning the room and rattling the ice in his glass. He can scarcely believe that he actually asked him to come.

The greater surprise, of course, is that he showed. 'He showed!' cheers a giddy part of Severus' brain. He wipes his sweating palms on the side of his trousers, trying to steady his breath.  
He waits for Remus' eyes to land on him before offering a small smile, sitting down beside him when he's greeted with a bright smile in return.

"Hello Severus. Alright?"  
"Very, thanks. I'm glad you came." Severus hopes the enormity of his gladness isn't advertised too glaringly by his face.

Remus looks pleased at this and smiles before looking at his knees, "it's been a while since I've been out. It's been even longer since anybody asked me."

Severus finds this completely baffling, but simply says, "Then I'm doubly glad I asked you out."

The way Remus flushes, the way his lips part in a smile, and the way his still downcast eyes shine with pleasure all send a mad swoop through Severus' guts. He inches minutely closer to Remus.

"I hadn't seen you come in to Freud before yesterday. Are you new to the area?"  
"Actually, I've lived around here for about four years now. I had a morning class yesterday, and nothing to do in the afternoon, so I just wandered, really."  
"Where do you study?" Severus asks.  
"London School of Economics. Philosophy major." Remus smiles almost apologetically. "Not the most earth shattering stuff, but I work hard and I adore it."

Severus smiles back at him, a teasing tone enters his voice, "So you're not a pontificating wanker?"  
Remus feigns righteous indignation, and scoffs, "I most certainly am not."

He's delighted at the small chuckle this earns from Severus, "well, I don't think so, but James would probably disagree."  
"Ah yes, and where is the littlest chimney-sweep?" Severus feels a small pang of fear at the thought of what Lily will do to him when she finds out he's given James her phone number.  
"He was just getting us a drink..oh, here he comes now."

Remus is right of course, James is grinning widely and squeezing between small groups of people, glasses held carefully above bumping elbows, with Lily.

Severus scoots a little closer to Remus to avoid the burning path of Lily's glare. 

Remus stands to give Lily a polite kiss to the cheek "nice to see you Lily. You look great."

"Thanks Remus," she grins at him, "Glad you could make it. And I love the suit."

He takes his drink from James before resuming his seat. He very nearly drops the glass when he feels his thigh press warmly against another.

"Thankyou Lily." Severus carefully reaches for his drink.  
"Oh no, Severus. Thankyou." Severus stifles a snort of laughter.

"Remus was just telling me that he studies philosophy at LSE."  
"Wow, that must be really interesting. Is that where you two met?" She points between Remus and James.

"We met a couple of years before LSE, actually. We were both doing the same creative writing class on a Friday night. Ended up quitting it together, decided chips and a pint was more interesting than the babbling of the ridiculous new-age teacher. Sybil, I think. Anyway, I started studying politics the year after Remus started his course."

Lily asks James what Severus is thinking, "what were you doing in a creative writing course? I don't mean to be rude, but it doesn't really seem like something you might go in for?"

"S'alright, but to be fair, we've only just met. Perhaps I have a plethora of hidden depths."

Remus snorts at this. "He went there to pull."  
Lily rolls her eyes. "That makes a bit more sense."  
"Shut up Remus. Well who cares if my hidden depths aren't that deep? I make up for it in other ways. Lily, would you care to dance." He stands up and holds out a gallant hand.

Lily glances at Severus, who is pleading so hard with his eyes that she worries he may pop a vein, and lets James pull her to her feet.  
Severus blows her a kiss, grateful to have Remus to himself. Remus hasn't shifted away, so, emboldened Severus casually rests his hand on Remus' knee.

"You look really good." A thrill runs down his spine as he hears a tiny hitch in the other mans breath.  
"Thank you. So do you."  
Remus pauses for a minute and considers taking a gulp of his gin and tonic. Instead, he aims for keeping his voice steady, "I think you're gorgeous."  
He can't quite meet Severus' eye, but he feels the desperate need to let him know, at least a little, of how magnetic he finds him.  
Severus softly squeezes the knee beneath his hand.

"Would you like to dance?" Remus nods as Severus stands and offers his hand. Severus leads him away from the couch without dropping Remus' hand.

 

 

Severus can feel surges of warm electricity buzzing beneath his skin.  
He can't quite believe his luck.

He sees Lily dancing with James a few feet away. Part of her fringe has slipped from the pile atop her head. Her cheeks are flushed pink. She's smiling at something James has said.  
Perhaps he won't be flayed alive for his omission after all.

Finding a space in the crowd, he pulls Remus a little closer and grips his waist loosely with his free hand, fingers curling beneath Remus' jacket into the white cotton of his shirt.

Remus gives him another smile. He doesn't drop Severus' hand as they start to move together. The song is familiar, but he can't quite remember who it's by or what it's called. It doesn't seem to matter.

They move together in time to the music, smiling at each other. Remus has to keep cutting his eyes away before his smile becomes a giddy laugh.  
Severus slowly pulls Remus closer, pleased that Remus is only a little shorter than he.  
He brings his hand up to Remus' shoulder, and leans forward.

"I think you're gorgeous, too" he murmurs in the other mans ear, "I want to get to know you." His voice drops to a purr. He doesn't step back.  
"I'd really like that." Remus turns his face and drops a soft kiss beneath the other mans ear. Severus struggles to breathe as his body is suffused with heat.

They dance close, breath ghosting across each others cheeks.  
Halfway through the next song, which Remus recognizes this time as a song by The Jam. Severus squeezes his hand and pulls him toward the door leading to the lane way.  
He holds two fingers up, purses his lips and mimes inhaling, and Remus nods, following.

Severus is grateful for the cool rush of air that hits his face as he steps into the lane. His cheeks are burning red, and he sees the same when he looks back at Remus.  
He fishes a silver case from his pocket and leans his shoulder against the cool bricks, lighting a cigarette and passing it to Remus.  
Remus leans beside him as he lights another.

They watch each other for a long moment, inhaling and exhaling slowly. The crisp air carries white tendrils of smoke up whole where they twist slowly and rise.

Another minute passes before Remus gives in and leans forward, gripping onto a lapel and pressing his mouth to Severus' lips. Severus flicks his cigarette away and slips his hand behind the other mans neck, pulling him gently against his body.

"Hmmm.." Remus hums, pleased, closing his eyes and tilting his head. He feels the flicker of tongue across his bottom lip and moans, encouraging Severus' exploration. He tastes smoke and gin and lingering cloves as their tongues meet.

He clings desperately to Severus' jacket as his cock hardens and their kiss deepens.  
Long fingers stroke the back of his neck, and he feels an arm settle firmly around his waist.

Remus pulls gently, tugging Severus forward to lean against him, pushing him back to the wall.  
Severus is relentless, eating hungrily at his mouth while small sounds escape them both.  
He presses forward with his hips to better feel Remus' unmistakeably hard cock, warm even through his trousers.

Severus licks a slow stripe across Remus' swollen bottom lip, nips at the corner of his mouth before tilting his head again, diving back in to lose his breath.

Remus slides a hand up Severus' long neck, winding his fingers in the loose black hair. He breaks away from the slick tangle, breathing heavily and resting his forehead against Severus'.  
He feels a soft kiss beneath his eye, and groans as Severus rests his soft lips to the curve of his ear, the very corner of his jaw, lingering warmly at the top of his collar.

Curling his fingers tighter into dark locks, he urges Severus to continue, arching his spine and murmuring soft praise.  
The taller man complies, tonguing the pulsing cord along Remus' neck before kissing and sucking the spot just beneath his ear.

Severus rolls his hips slowly, purring in satisfaction, sucking hard as he places a hand on Remus' arse, pulling him completely flush against his pelvis.  
Remus is panting softly, lips open against black hair.

"If you keep that up, I'm going to embarrass myself."  
Severus pulls back, smirking in satisfaction as he lifts flashing eyes to the pink flush splashed across Remus' cheeks. "We can't have that now. It's far too early to be embarrassing ourselves."

Remus is laughing as Severus peels him off the wall, and slings and arm around his waist, walking tall and flicking glances at the faces of people they pass.

The warm weight of Severus' arm curling possessively around his waist, and the proud tilt of Severus' chin that practically shouts 'that's right, he's with me,' does nothing to dampen the raging flames burning at his insides.  
He decides to give it at least two more songs before he drags Severus into the street and into a cab.

 

 

Severus is buzzing, his trousers are tight and his lips still tingle from the taste of Remus and the short stubble of his jaw. He's swinging his hips, twisting his feet and watching the swing and sway of the other mans hips, closer then further.

He's aching to take him home and drag screams from his lips, purple his thighs with bites.

Remus is oblivious to the other people dancing around them.  
He knows he isn't alone with Severus, of course, the fact that they're both still fully dressed convinces him of that, but the crowd doesn't matter.  
For Remus the room is only as big as the space between them, the lights only bright enough to illuminate two.  
He hasn't been so aware of his own body in years.

A wild thought flashes through his mind; that he hasn't ever been so sure that this, now is exactly the place in the universe where he is meant to be.

The thought propels him toward Severus, and he shows him the ecstasy of his mad revelation with a long, deep kiss, his hands cradling the dark head.  
He doesn't have time to convince himself that he's just over excited after going so very long without the heart-thumping thrill of hot kisses and first dates.

Severus is pulling him to the door once more, and he follows quickly, sparing a thought to wonder if James is having as good as time as he is.

Nobody has ever had as much fun as i'm having , he smiles to himself as he follows Severus into the back of a cab.

 

 

The ride is mercifully brief, and before he knows it, Severus breaks his gaze to pay the driver and lead him up the stairs of a tall brick apartment building.

Severus stops outside his door on the second floor, fumbling to get his key in the lock while Remus presses himself along his back, mouthing his neck and snaking an arm around to slowly tug the front of his shirt from his trousers.  
At last he's in, and he slams the door shut behind him, spinning around to pull Remus back toward him, long fingers scrabbling to unbutton his white shirt from the top of his neck.

Remus is panting as they kiss, desperately pulling at each others shirts with fingers still freezing from the night outside, pushing jackets from shoulders and pulling at hair.

Severus lets his shirt drop to the floor with his jacket and concentrates on parting Remus from his trousers as fast as humanly possible. He's acutely grateful that neither of them are too drunk for this, that Remus is kissing him as hard and insistently as he's being kissed and looking just as ready to fly apart.

Severus hisses through his teeth as Remus finally takes a hold of his leaking cock through his pants. "Come on," he pants, "bedroom," before pushing a smiling Remus back.

Remus feels the backs of his knees hit a mattress, and he falls back a moment before his pants are stripped unceremoniously from his legs and cold hands lift his feet to peel the socks from his ankles.  
His stomach jerks violently as he lifts his shoulders to see Severus staring at the long pale foot in his hand, sees him gently kiss the top of his left foot.

"I'm going to die. You're.." Severus looks up, eyebrow raised.  
After a moment he places a hand over Remus' heart, pushing back hard, "so are you," his last words before taking hold of Remus' cock and wrapping his lips firmly around the slick head. His senses are invaded by the warmth of him, the faint tang of sweat and the sharp unmistakeable smell of precome.

He can feel the rough carpet beneath his knees, ignores it in favour of tasting, sucking hard and pulling back to study the twitching cock in his hand. Severus Snape you are a lucky, lucky bastard.

He flicks with his tongue and twists his wrist, pulling Remus back into the wet slide of his mouth. He hums happily around his substantial mouthful when Remus slides the shaking fingers of one hand across his scalp.

Remus wouldn't keep quiet if he could, too shocked at the scorching heat of Severus' mouth as bobs his lips swiftly up and down.  
The warm, wet slide is nirvana, the brief scrape of back teeth over the head of his cock sends ripple after ripple of tremors through the muscles in his thighs.

He is sure he is going to die in the moment he feels Severus' throat constrict around him. He grabs a handful of shining black hair and throws his own head back, babbling and begging for his life.

Severus pulls back, he gasps for air, jerking slowly before flattening his tongue along Remus' cock, painting a stripe up the underside.  
He smirks and stretches his back, plants his hands either side of Remus' parted legs and pushes himself up.

Remus is staring at him, mouth open, hands reaching for him as he scoots back further onto the bed. Severus reaches a hand back to pull his own pants off, and Remus busies himself with raising his body from the mattress to grip his shoulders and bite at his neck.

Severus feels the satisfied smirk drop from his face as Remus bites savagely at his nipple, sending a bolt straight to his cock. Remus pulls him to his chest, letting Severus drop his hips to the cradle of his thighs.  
He arches and Severus rolls his hips, pressing down as he lets his head fall to the crook of Remus' shoulder.

Remus catches his lips again, and Severus closes his eyes, kissing him back and feeling ten feet tall.

Remus pulls back, "you're unbelievable."  
Severus snorts, "Believe it." He kisses him again, and pulls away, "back in a sec. Wine."

Remus pushes himself up to lean against the headboard, grinning as he watches long legs and pale feet pad from the room.

He looks around and reaches for a black box on the small table beside the bed, taps a cigarette into his palm.

 

 

Severus tucks the bottle of wine under his arm and opens the cupboard sitting beside his speakers, reaching for his stash of johnnies and quickly flicking through the records. He quickly finds what he's looking for, and makes his way back to the bedroom as the opening bars of Search and Destroy pulse through the flat.

 

 

Remus wonders if they've been kissing for hours, or if it just feels that way. He can feel nothing but the heat of skin and the silken twist of hair beneath his fingertips, the hot slide of Severus' tongue against his, and warm solid legs twisted around his

His senses are filled with the taste of him, the sharp bite of wine and the dull smoke and sweet cloves of his cigarette.  
He's so far beyond words that he has to pull away for a long minute, eyes drifting open slowly before he rasps, "lube?"

Severus pulls away from Remus' bruised neck with a smacking pop, and rolls to the side of the mattress, groping beneath the bed.  
Remus holds his hand out, sees Severus flick the cap open before the cool liquid spills out to pool in his palm.

He keeps his eyes open, watching Severus groans at the first jerk of his slick hand, eyebrows furrowing.  
Remus keeps his movements slow, holds himself up on one arm above the other man.  
Satisfied with the curses and gasps tumbling from Severus' mouth, he reaches for the bottle resting on wrinkled sheets, squeezing more liquid onto his fingers.  
He strokes a wet line behind Severus' heavy balls, drawn tight against his body.

Legs part wider as he slides down the mattress, lapping at the twitching flesh of Severus' cock. He suckles softly at the head as he pushes a finger past the tight dusky ring, air rushing from his nose in a gentle huff of laughter when Severus cries out above him, "Jesus-fucking-christ-yes," arching his back, panting, heels digging into the mattress.

Remus pumps his long finger deeper, sliding back slowly before rejoining with a second. His tongue flicks out to taste the salty droplets leaking from the swollen purple head of Severus' cock. His hand moves fractionally faster, fingers alternately crooking and parting inside the hot, gripping channel.

It's Severus' turn to gabble and shout, one arm is bent above his head, pushing against the headboard to drive himself down onto long, deft fingers.  
"More, ah..more, Remus, fuck. Please..."

Remus grins, grabbing the silver square that's bounced off his forehead and landed on the sheets between the vee of Severus' legs.  
Severus watches him work the thin latex down over his straining length, drinking in the burnt honey of his eyes, the tiny quaver of his hands.

"Ok?" Remus knows his hands are shaking, and his breath is unsteady, hitching in odd places. He is glad for the small smile on his lovers face, basks in the glitter of his dark eyes, the pupils blown so wide. Severus nods.  
"Yeah. Keep going."

Remus runs a reverent hand across the pale plane of Severus' thigh, lifting it higher to hook around his waist. Severus obligingly lifts his other long leg, hooking it around the waist, crossing his ankles above Remus' arse.

Severus closes his eyes as the sting begins, the sharp burn spiking through his gut. The familiar push reaches into him, pressing and grabbing at his lungs.

Remus moves so slowly above him, breathing hard as he sinks forward, sweat breaking out on his brow.  
When his hips come to rest flush against Severus, Remus closes his eyes and sucks in a great lungful of air.  
He can feel his Severus' pulse ripple around him, his universe shrinking to the bob of his throat, swallowing desperately, gasping beneath him, and the unrelenting squeeze of Severus' arse around his cock.

"With you in a minute," Remus chokes out, mouthing the soft, thin skin above a ridged collarbone, "it's been a long time."  
Severus murmurs something inaudible, his toes curling under themselves, wiping his palm across Remus' damp brow.

Holding onto the thread of comprehension keeping him from the brink, Remus shifts, hips pulling back slowly before pushing forward into blinding tightness. He sets a slow rhythm, gently pulsing forward over and over as he joins himself to Severus.

"Nn..good, s'good," Severus rolls his hips gently upwards, meeting Remus each time he sinks. A deep pink stain has blossomed across his chest, climbing the column of his throat.

Remus maintains his gentle, rocking rhythm, the hot squeeze around his cock sending lazy sparks of pleasure up his spine. Severus is groaning beneath him, chin tilted toward the ceiling, heels digging in to the small of Remus' back.

He's certain it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, smooth stretches of pale skin flushed pink, bright eyes and slack lips that glisten with spit, spilling praise and moans into the air around them.

Remus feels a primal stab of pride, surging forward, harder this time, ("fuck! More...yes...") staking his claim to the dark man arching and tossing his head beneath him.  
Severus is gripping the headboard again, using it as leverage to snap his hips sharply, into the surging roll of steady hips.  
He grits his teeth, focusing his eyes on the way Remus's eyelashes fan out into the dark smudges above his cheeks. His forehead is smooth, his mouth open in a soft 'o.'

Severus surges up, crushing his mouth to those pink lips. Remus growls, biting hungrily at his lips as he surges faster, hips pistoning smoothly, the smack of flesh on flesh obscuring the harsh fuzz of guitar still blaring from the other room.

Remus doesn't falter in his rhythm as he slides both arms behind Severus, scooping him forward and leaning back to rest on the balls of his feet.  
Severus wraps both arms around Remus' neck and unhooks his ankles, planting them firmly on the mattress beneath them. He flicks and rolls his hips as he starts to bounce lightly on the momentum of Remus' upward thrusts.

Their lips are fused, moving wetly together as they shift and slide, chest to chest, surrounding each other with their legs and rocking together, over and over.

Remus feels part of himself wash away, taken as sand in the tide of his building orgasm. Thick coils of heat curl and flicker deep in hs belly. He curls his hand over Severus' fist, jerking fast and spasmodic over his cock as he thrusts still faster into the heaven of secure warmth inside Severus.

"F-aa-ster, fa..do it," Severus locks eyes with Remus, panting for breath. His hair hangs in strings around his face, wet from exertion, and he's so ready to come. He throws his head back, screaming and cursing as Remus pushes him back, slamming into him, hard and fast and deep. It takes about half a dozen further strokes of their hands to push Severus, howling, over the edge.

He can't breathe, and he can't see past the film of static that's dropped over his eyes. He just comes, pulse after pulse of sticky white spurting across his fingers, splashing onto his chest.

The rush and roar in his ears is drowned out by a long, low moan above him, followed closely by a series of breathy grunts that send tiny jolts skittering down into his sticky, sated prick.

Remus is thrusting helplessly, consumed by the squeeze and pull of Severus' arse around him. He bends his neck to lick at the hot splash of come that's landed low on Severus' neck, losing his rhythm completely as he throws his head back and falls apart.

 

 

Completely drained, Severus struggles to keep his eyes open for just a bit longer.

His legs are tangled with Remus', and he's lifted his duvet to cover them both. He searches his memory, trying to recall if any of his lovers has looked at him the way Remus does now; with warmth and awe, as though he hung the moon, and did it just for Remus.

He succumbs to the sleep washing over his tired body, and thinks he could get used to being looked at like that.

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback and con-crit most welcome. Hope you've enjoyed this story!


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